Former Brazilian player beheaded

The severed head of a former Brazilian
footballer was left in a backpack on the front
step of his house.
João Rodrigo Silva Santos, 35, was a forward
for a number of mostly second-tier Rio de
Janeiro football teams before retiring and
opening a health foods store .
Police said that Mr Santos is believed to have
been snatched as he closed up his shop in Rio
on Monday night.
Witnesses said they saw several men bundling
him into his car and speeding off just before
midnight.
Mr Santos' brother-in-law told Brazil's Globo
G1 website that the player's wife, Geisa Silva,
31, stayed up all night after her husband failed
to arrive home.
He said: "Every time a car passed by she would
go to see.
"She was getting ready to go to work at around
5.30am when she heard a noise, opened the
front door and saw his rucksack. When she
opened it, it was his head.
"From what I know, he didn't have any enemies
and neither did his wife."
Mr Santos' eyes and tongue had been gouged
out, according to Brazilian media reports.
Investigators are looking into whether Mr
Santos was murdered by a drugs gang because
of Ms Silva's work at a military police base in a
local slum.
One police official told Brazil's O Globo
newspaper that authorities are also
investigating whether a recent post on the
store's Facebook page could be connected to
the crime.
The post showed surveillance footage and
asked for help catching shoplifters.
May his gentle soul rest in peace.
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